"Mom!" Davy let out a yell and raced towards Dixie.

Tamara was a little slower going, a hint of a smile on her lips and something wicked dancing in her eyes.

Dixie blinked, surprised. She gave her son a big hug, looking over the top of his head to offer Serge a questioning look.

Serge simply smiled back at her, clearly pleased with his little surprised.

Davy slipped out of his mother's arms and took off for Sting.

"Hey." he greeted his hero warmly.

Sting grinned down at him, giving him a high five, "Hey, buddy. So you come to take on New York, huh?'

"Something like that." Serge spoke up with a chuckle.

Sting glanced sideways at the other man, regarding him darkly. He had an idea what 'something like that' meant.

Serge gave the wrestler his back and gave his astonished estranged wife a hug. Dixie gave his back a quick pat but then promptly pulled back. She could feel Sting's glare on them and she nervously ran a hand through her hair.

"While I'm thrilled to see the kids," Dixie replied, "I don't appreciate you taking them out of school."

"What school?" Tamara sighed, annoyed, "It's Saturday, Mom."

"It is Saturday." Serge reminded Dixie, still flashing that pearly smile.

Dixie blinked. It was Saturday. How could she have missed that? Where had the time gone?

Sting raked a hand through his hair, the Icon growing more uncomfortable by the moment. It was clear that he was the fifth wheel there and the best thing for him to do was leave.

"It was good to see you guys." he told the kids as he began to make his way across the lobby, "Dixie, I'll see you later."

The Impact owner looked after him in surprise, "Steve, wait-"

"No, let him go." Serge interjected, loudly, "I'm sure he's got a lot to do. Iron his tights. Take off his makeup. He must be tired of walking around looking like a life-size action figure all day."

Sting paused, his back stiffening. He mentally counted to ten before continuing on to the elevators.

"Serge-" Dixie gave her estranged husband a narrowed look.

"What?" Serge raised his hands, feinting innocence.

He began to smile, "Come on, Dix. Let me and the kids take you to dinner."

"Hey, guys, can you give us a minute." Dixie offered her children a warm smile before turning back to Serge with a frown.

"Why are you here?" she questioned.

"We wanted to surprise you." Serge answered.

He reached out and took her hand in his, his thumb rubbing against the top of it, "And I wanted to talk to you. I think we have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, we do." Dixie nodded, "And I'm thrilled to see the children. But, Serge, I'm working."

"Looked to me like you and the Stinger were done working for the day." Serge couldn't help but jab.

Dixie slid her hand from his grasp, instantly defensive, "Sting and I were finished for the day. And, yes, we were coming back to the hotel together. But if you really want to talk about suspicious friendships, let's talk about you and Madison Rayne."

Serge rubbed his jaw and sighed, annoyed.

"We do have a lot to talk about." was the only thing he would say.

Tamara and Davy approached them at that moment, Davy asking, "So are we going to dinner or what?"

"Why don't you and Dad go, Mom." Tamara quickly spoke up, "Just the two of you. Davy and I can get room service."

"I wanna go out to dinner." Davy argued.

But with one heated look from his sister he promptly bowed his head and grumbled, "Never mind. I'll eat room service."

"Why don't I eat with you-" Dixie started to say but Serge jumped in.

"Come on, Dix." he pressed her, "Don't tell me you don't have a craving for the Woodbury's famous chicken parmesan. Come on, when's the next time we're going to be in New York?"

Dixie looked between her children and her husband and sighed, giving in, "Okay. Okay. You win."

"Have fun." Tamara stated as she took her mother's room key and led her little brother away.

"I wanna go find Sting." Davy spoke up as the pair climbed into the elevator.

Tamara punched the button for the right floor and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms, "Why don't you just leave him alone?"

They reached their floor and got off, Davy's eyes instantly lighting up.

"Hey, Sting." he called, walking over to the Icon as he was about to enter his hotel room.

"Oh yay." Tamara muttered under her breath.

"Hey, little dude." Sting grinned down at the boy, "So are you and your folks gonna have a night out on the town?"

"Nope." Tamara replied gleefully as she approached, "My mom and dad decided to go out to dinner by themselves."

She drew to a stop, a Cheshire grin on her lips as she went on, "It's so great to see that they found their way back to one another. They are so much in love."

She let out a sigh, "My mom has missed my dad terribly. And Daddy, well, he's just lost without her."

Her words left a bitter taste in Sting's mouth. He knew the spiteful teenager was just trying to get under his skin. Unfortunately for him it was working.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he bowed his head and replied quietly, " I hope everything works out for the best."

"The best for my parents, of course." Tamara added with a sunny smile.

"Knock it off, Tamara." Davy sighed in annoyance.

"What?" the older sibling feinted innocence, "Sting's a good guy. Of course he'd hope their marriage can be salvaged, right?

"I mean, only a jerk would try and come between a happily married couple, right?" she asked pointedly.

Davy groaned and snatched the key from her hand, walking over to the door, "This is boring. I'm going to go watch TV. Later, Sting."

"Bye, Davy." Sting turned back to Tamara and replied honestly, "I'm sorry your parents are having problems-"

"Oh, I'm sure you are." Tamara hissed, her cheerful mask falling away, "You can drop the act now, Davy's gone. I know you're just hoping they break up so you can move in on my mother."

Sting sighed, holding his arms up at his sides, "You've got me all wrong, Tamara. I care about Dixie and I don't want to see her get hurt. But I don't want to see you or Davy get hurt, either."

"Yeah, right." Tamara scoffed.

"Yeah. Right." Sting repeated, sincere.

Tamara shook her head and made her way back to her mother's room, snapping over her shoulder, "Just back off so my parents can work everything out!"

She entered the hotel room and slammed the door behind her.

Sting turned and let himself into his room. He closed the door and made his way deeper into the room, angrily throwing his jacket onto a nearby chair.

He slumped onto the end of the bed, running his hands through his hair.

He was at a loss. Completely unsure of what to do. He wanted her. Had wanted her for so long now. And he wanted to fight for her.

He rose to his feet and began to pace the room.

He just didn't know if he should. If it was just Dixie things would be different. But there were kids involved. He couldn't forget that even though he had to admit that he had for a while.

Sting drew to a stop, rubbing the back of his neck. Besides, no matter how much he fought for her it won't mean anything unless she fought, too.

She had said things were better without Serge but she hadn't made a move to finalize her decision either way.

Maybe she was having second thoughts about her wayward husband. Maybe she had decided to make things work for him and her family.

Sting scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. Maybe he was going to drive himself crazy if he kept thinking about this.

Exhaling, he dropped his hand and grabbed his gym bag. He needed to go hit the weights and burn off some of this nervous energy.

He started to make his way to the door when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. He was still in his ring attire and face paint.

The Icon promptly turned and made a beeline for the bathroom. After he washed his face and changed his clothes.

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Dixie leaned back in her seat, hands clasped before her. She looked around the elegant dining hall of Woodbury's, one of her favorite restaurants there in New York, and sighed. Though she should have felt happy and relaxed being there, the truth was she was anything but. Mainly due to her dining partner.

"Why are you here, Serge?" she questioned him, studying him intently, "Tell me the truth."

Serge offered her a warm smile, "The kids missed you, Dix."

He reached over and took one of her hands, giving it a gentle squeeze, "I did, too."

He removed his hand and cleared his throat, his eyes going to the tablecloth, "Being away from you has made me realize how much I missed you."

Serge looked deeply into her eyes, adding, "And love you. I do love you, Dixie."

Dixie fixed him with a look and murmured coldly, "And where does Madison fit in in all of this?"

Her estranged husband shook his head, annoyance filling him, "Dixie, for the last time, there is nothing going one between me and Madison."

His denial only made Dixie angrier and she hissed, "Just be honest with me for once, Serge. Tell me the truth!"

Serge's eyes narrowed as he accused, "I could ask you the same thing. What about you and Sting, huh? Are you going to sit there and tell me there's nothing going on between the two of you?"

"Nothing has happened between us." Dixie replied vehemently.

"Ah, but he wants it do." Serge scoffed, "I've seen the way he looks at you, Dix. You can't deny that he doesn't want something to happen."

Dixie glanced down at her clasped hands and bit her lip. Well, she wanted honesty. She might as well get the ball rolling.

"He does." she admitted as she looked back up at her husband.

"Ah ha!" Serge looked positively triumphant.

"And so do I." Dixie added quietly.

Serge's victorious smile faded instantly, shock beginning to set in, "What?"

It was bittersweet, admitting her feelings. But Dixie would be lying if she didn't admit that a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"I didn't look for it to happen." she told him, "But in the middle of it all I. . .I started to develop feelings for Steve.

"And when the time is right, I want to see where things can go between us." she finished.

"You can't. . ." Serge was at a loss for words, stunned by her admission, "Dixie, you can't be serious! What are you saying?!"

Dixie looked him right in the eye and took a deep breath before finally saying, "I'm saying that I want a divorce."

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Dixie and Serge road the elevator back up to her room in silence. The air between them was thick with tension. So thick that she was sure one could cut it with a knife.

She peeked over at him hesitantly. He was staring up at the numbers, his features like stone. She knew she had hurt him terribly with her decision, but she also knew that it was for the best. Unfortunately it was something that had been coming for a long time now. One that they could no longer avoid.

And, yes, it would hurt them all for a while. But Dixie believed deep in her heart that they would all be better off in the long run.

The elevator finally came to a stop, the doors sliding open. The estranged spouses remained where they were, though. Neither one was in much of a hurry to return to their children and tell them their news.

"We better get this over with." Serge muttered and made his way out of the tiny space.

Dixie looked after him for a moment before following suit.

Sting made his way out of his hotel room the moment Dixie and Serge stepped up to Dixie's. He was about to say something to them when he noticed Dixie suddenly reach over and hug her husband. Serge was still for a few seconds before slowly wrapping his arms around her. He buried his face in her neck and held her tightly for several moments.

Head bowed, Sting turned and quietly went back into his room.

Dixie eventually pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes. She couldn't do this now. She needed to be strong for Tamara and Davy.

"Here." Serge replied quietly, handing her his handkerchief.
She offered him a smile of gratitude and wiped her eyes. Clutching it in her hand she followed her husband into the room.

Tamara was laying on the bed, her ever present cell phone to her ear. Davy was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching a movie.

At the sight of them both teens quit what they were doing and gave their parents their full attention. Tamara's eyes narrowed slightly, the older sibling picking up on the tense mood. Davy looked back and forth between his mother and father, confused and growing more weary by the moment.

"Hey, kids." Serge offered them a tense smile, "Your mother and I have something we need to talk to you about."

They grabbed nearby chairs and pulled them up to the foot of the bed. Tamara joined her brother, the girl looking at her parents with trepidation.

"What's going on?" she demanded though she really didn't want to hear the answer.

"Your father and I have been doing some talking. . ." Dixie began, glancing at Serge for help.

But he simply regarded her silently, making no move to assist. Clearly he was going to let her be the bad guy in this.

Dixie felt her anger rise but she held it off. Now wasn't the time or place.

She turned back to her children and offered them a watery smile, "We want you to know that we love you both so very much."

"But?" Tamara prompted coldly.

Dixie again looked to Serge for help. She silently pleaded with him to work with her on this.

He took pity on her and cleared his throat, "Sometimes you meet someone. And you fall in love with them. And you decide to get married. . ."

His voice trailed off and he looked over at Dixie, at a loss for words.

Dixie picked up, "Your father and I love each other very much. We always will. But sometimes. . .sometimes love just isn't enough. We aren't doing this to hurt or punish you-"

"Yeah, right." Tamara suddenly snapped, surging to her feet, "Why don't you just come right out and say it, Mother. You two are getting a divorce."

Davy looked between his parents, pain beginning to well up in his eyes, "Is that true? Are you guys getting a divorce?"

"Sweetie," Dixie reached out, taking her son's hand, "I know this hurts you. And I am so sorry for that. But, ultimately, this is going to be for the best."

"Best for who?" Tamara accused, "Best for you? So now you can run off and be with that muscle bounded jerk, Sting?"

Dixie looked over at Serge, hoping he would help. But it was clear by the dark look in his eyes that he wasn't going to jump to her defense any time soon.

"Tamara, that's not why your father and I are separating." Dixie tried to get her daughter to see reason, "Things haven't been good for a long time now. This way. . .it's better to have parents who are separated and happy than together and always fighting. It really is for the best."

"Bullshit!" Davy suddenly bellowed.

He shuffled back to the head of the bed and crossed his arms, bowing his head. He let out a sniffle and Dixie could see tears trailing down his cheeks.

She looked at Serge in misery before the pair climbed onto the bed on either side of him, meaning to consol him.

"Pal," Dixie placed a hand on his arm, "Sweetie, we love you so much."

"That's right, bud." Serge promptly agreed, "And none of this is your fault."

He glanced over his son's head to Dixie, silently letting her know just whose fault he thought it was. Dixie sighed and turned back to her son, making him her number one priority.

"Your dad is right." she told Davy, "Really, sweetie, this is going to be the best thing for everyone involved. Nothing is going to change. Your dad and I are still going to be there for you."

"But Dad won't be living at home anymore." Davy glared at his mother.

"No, son, I won't." Serge agreed, "But I'll still see you all the time."

"That's right." Dixie quickly agreed, "Whenever you want. I promise you that. I promise."

"This is all your fault." Tamara hissed at her mother, "You just couldn't stay away from him, could you, Mother? God, you are so pathetic! Getting seduced by that stupid, phony-"

"That is enough, Tamara!" Dixie snapped as she rose to her feet, "I mean it! I know you want to paint Sting as the bad guy in all of this-"

"No, Mother, that would be you." Tamara muttered.

"He has nothing to do with this." Dixie went on, ignoring the jab, "And whether you believe me or not, I didn't set out to do this to hurt you. I would never want to hurt you. Or cause you pain. That's not what this is about."

"Yeah, right." Tamara scoffed.

"Yes. Right." Dixie stated adamantly.

"Ugh, God!" Tamara threw her hands up in disgust, "Now you even sound like him."

She turned to her father and begged, "Daddy, can we please go? Please? Can we just get on a plane and leave. I don't want to be here anymore. Can we just go home? Now."

Serge rose from the bed and walked over to his daughter, putting an arm around her, "It's too late to leave now, princess. But we can leave tomorrow if you want."

"Good." Tamara sniffled, burying her head against her father's chest.

"Why don't we go get a room for the night." Serge gently suggested.

He turned to Davy and questioned, "You want to come with us, son?"

Davy wiped his eyes and looked over at Dixie hesitantly. She gave her son a gentle smile and nodded, silently telling him that she was okay with whatever he decided.

"Yeah." Davy nodded as he climbed off the bed and joined his father and sister, "Yeah, I wanna go home."

"We'll talk to you tomorrow before we leave." Serge told his wife coldly before leading their children out of the room.

It was only when they were gone, and the door was closed behind them, that Dixie sank onto the bed. She buried her head in her hands and began to sob.

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Dixie emerged from her hotel room late the next morning. Thank goodness for a good concealer and powder. Without it her puffy eyes would be obvious.

She had spent the entire night crying, both for her children and the loss of her marriage. Even though it had been her decision it hadn't made the hurt any less. She would mourn what she and Serge had had together. Probably would for a long while.

Her head was killing her. All she wanted to do was take an aspirin, get on the plane and get home.

Unfortunately there was one more meeting left to cover on the summit. Hulk, being General Manage, had to stay with her. She knew James had already flown out earlier that morning. She just hoped Sting was still around.

She needed to talk to him. Tell him she had made a decision. Tell him. . .

What? That she was in love with him? That she wanted to see what could happen between them after her divorce?

Well it was the truth. And she owed him that.

She walked towards his door, thinking of her family. They had left early that morning, as well. Davy had given her a big hug but Tamara refused to acknowledge her.

It broke her heart to see her daughter so angry with her. Dixie wished there was something she could do to finally get through to her. But it seemed like nothing would work. And especially not now, after she announced her intentions to divorce.

Sighing, Dixie stepped up to Sting's room and knocked on the door.

To her surprise, though, it wasn't the Insane Icon that answered.

The door opened and the maid looked up at her with a kind smile, "May I help you, Ms. Carter?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to speak to Mr. Borden." Dixie glanced over the shorter woman's head to peer into the room.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Carter." the maid explained as she exited the room, "But Mr. Borden checked out earlier this morning."